Shae
by hsp3x3
Summary: AU with lots of original characters. Influenced by 'World of Darkness' game by White Wolf. Shae lives in Indiana and is the child of Xander who is child of Godric and works for the Prince of Indianapolis and makes some friends from Louisiana and helps them settle into a new state and make some new friends of their own.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I was walking down Guilford Ave on a chilly September evening, trying to remember what it was like when the cool night air actually bothered me. It seemed so long ago. Suddenly I got the feeling that I was not alone. You know, when the hair on the back of your neck stands up and the voice in your head puts you on alert? I turned around and saw, what appeared to be a eight inch tall elf. I decided that it was the effects of a bad meal ( You should be careful when you have a snack at a club) and turned back around to continue on my way. To my surprise, where there should have been a hole in the wall store with a sign hanging from it reading To Live Again, there was instead a large smoky swirl.

"This can't be good."

I said to myself as I wondered if Jean was up to something. I always thought she was pretty cool. Then the swirl rippled a little and a combat boot poked its way through followed by a pair of dark colored Tripp pants, a black trench, and a magenta corset with black ribbons on it. Who ever this was definitely had my attention. I followed the outfit upward with my eyes and saw her face. She looked so familiar.

"Uh, Rorie?"

It had been somewhere between fifty and a hundred years since I had seen her. We were such good friends back in the day. We would run the streets all night and mess with the humans. It was definitely good times. Granted, she was not a Kindred like me, but she was definitely a kindred spirit. I mean, don't get me wrong, Lupine in general, are trouble for vampires and we as a rule do not usually engage the filthy beasts as close friends, but Rorie and I were never very good at following the rules. Come to think of it neither are the other guys in the band. It also helps when the Prince of the City looks to you like a friend . That tends to make him more tolerant of such foolishness. In exchange, I do his bidding whenever he asks. This has made me unofficially one of his main assistants, a position I greatly enjoy.

I looked at her for what seemed like a long moment before I spoke. I had to make sure it was really her and not some mage throwing a glamour or some shape shifter trying to pass for my friend. I know that sounds a bit strange being as she is one herself, but I knew her before she received the bite, so I know her true form and her tells. This was actually her. I smiled at her.

"It's been a while, my Insoli friend"

"Only sixty years or so, that's not so long. I have been busy lately, you know, checking out the scene in Los Angeles. I saw one of your shows out there, not bad, but you could use a new lead on guitar.."

"Conveniently she just was recently asked to resign. Are you asking for an audition? Oh, you may want to close that." I said while I motioned toward her portal.

"You're really going to make me audition? Do you doubt my mad skills?" She pretended to be offended as she turned and mumbled something mortals would not be able to understand. Then the portal shrank and disappeared. I asked her what she had been doing with her time lately, and she pretended she didn't hear me so I changed the subject after making a mental note to revisit it later.

"So, I'm headed over to Friendly Farms for a snack, you interested?"

"Friendly Farms? What is that?"

"Local blood bank / donation center. There is a crazy looking girl there who runs the place. The diversity in stock is amazing. You name it, she either has it or can get it."

"You have my attention..."

"She even packages in V8 bottles and cans for discretion. She is awesome. I'm just going for 20oz. I forgot to grab one as I lit my house."

"Shae, you always seem to have the hook up, but where can a girl get some decent game around here? Is there any safe hunting?"

We continued to walk as we talked. Friendly Farms was just up the street on the corner of Guilford and Westfield. I thought for a moment and remembered a flyer I saw at the Farm.

"If I remember right, I believe Celeste has a delivery service for fresh meat, but if you want to have some fun with your food, there is a place south of the city called The Howling Ranch, or something like that. It's owned by a couple of Shifters, and I hear it's always well stocked and the rates are supposed to be good. 100 bucks per person or something like that."

"That's more like it. You can have your 'V8', I need real food!" Rorie then laughed loudly and poked me in my ribs. She always did like to tease me.

We walked into The Farm and I got my 'juice' and we talked to Celeste for a little bit about the ranch and options for Rorie. I suppose I could have just asked my drummer, she is a were too after all. Rorie and Celeste were lost in conversation while I was thinking this. Then I realized I had been so distracted by the sudden appearance of my friend that I had almost forgotten about the party Maximo was hosting at my club,The Hole In The Wall. I told the girls and asked who was going. They both said it sounded like fun, so I told them it starts at 10:00 which was in about an hour and a half so if we were going then we all needed to split and get ready. I then turned to Rorie and asked if she was planning on staying with me until she got settled and she said

"yes, if that is ok with you…" so we went to my place to get ready. It was only a short walk from the Farm.

When Rorie saw my place she looked disappointed. I guess she expected something more lavish than my little three bed three bath cottage style home with a small yard, garden, green house, stone fence, den, and two car garage with Volkswagens in it. We walked through the wooden front door into the front room where I could see her taking everything in. She looked intently at the stone floor in the entry way, the cherry wood floors in the den, living room, and dining room, and down the hall to the stone floor in the kitchen. The walls in the kitchen were sage and, the hall, dining room, and living room were merlot and eggshell, and the den was eggplant and sand. Each room had both silk sheers and lush velvet drapes, with floor tapestries in the den, and living room. The stairs were in the living room and made of the same cherry wood as the rest of the floors. Upstairs were three bedrooms with private baths. The two guest rooms were simple and light, my room was an explosion of violets and black in velvets, satins, and laces. I loved it. The best part was the huge closet. It was a third the size of the room and held a very diverse wardrobe consisting of formal wear, business, business casual, casual, comfy, club wear and other. The furniture was all hand carved with intricate flur de leis and scrollwork in dark cherry wood with plush velvets and satins to match the colors of each room.

She walked into my room and went strait to my closet looking for something to wear. Luckily we were both the same size. She finally pulled out a pleated black mini skirt, red lame' halter, and a pair of knee high, lace up, black boots. I grabbed a pair of 24 inch cuffed jeans, a corset, a pair of boots, and a scarf for a belt. We both checked our hair. My multi colored streaked black hair hung beautifully down my back and Rorie's blond curls hung just past the small of her back. We were definitely ready. We were about to go to the club and I realized, I hadn't fed my guest yet.

"Hey, do you need to eat something before we go? I know I had a snack, but what about you?"

"Actually, I am a little hungry, what do you have in mind?" She asked me. I looked at her and told her,

"Get in the car, we're going to Cakes -N- Ale. You'll love it." So we got in my Ghinster Yellow VW Thing and headed to the restaurant.

We walked in and Nicholas, the manager, greeted us.

"Hello, Miss McDougal. We don't get you in here much… who is your friend?" he said as he looked at her.

"This is Rorie, I thought she would enjoy one of your specials before we go to the club. You got time?"

" Of course, any friend of yours is always welcome here and we always have time for one more!"

He looked at Rorie and inhaled deeply. Then he winked and showed us to a table. He then brought me a glass of warm O Negative, a glass of sweet red and a menu for Rorie and made a recommendation. She ordered some venison dish, rare, and a half hour later we were on our way.

The music was so loud we could hear it as we passed The Darkness Inside and came to The Dark Roast. The music at the Hole In The Wall was a pleasant mix of rock, industrial, goth, punk and just a touch of that emo crap. Maximo had asked my band, Guilty By Gender, to play a short set around midnight. I found this amusing because he was using my club for his party, but I was touched, he usually only liked our slower stuff. We, Marie, Zoe, MJ, and myself, were excited to do a local show. We loved small venues. They allowed us to feel closer to the fans.

Rorie and I went through the large steel door into the black building. Once inside the atmosphere changed drastically. Inside, there were fake holes and cracks painted on the walls with scatterings of chain link fencing. The seats looked like they had been ripped out of cars and vans. The tables looked like overturned boxes and milk crates and the floor looked like weather worn, raw concrete. The dance floor was asphalt with a thick coat of clear gloss and the bar was made from cinder blocks. The stage was on the far back wall and the V.I.P. spot was in the balcony right above the door.

The only thing on the black brick outside was a purple neon rune. Most humans wouldn't recognize it, but the rest of us knew it meant it was a safe house. The majority of the businesses in the part of Broad Ripple by the Painted Bridge were friendly to non-humans. We would jokingly refer to that part of town as 'The Rez' because there was such a high concentration of us that 'The Ripple' felt like a Reservation. You wouldn't think there would be so many of us in the Midwest, but The Res was home to more of us than any other place in Indiana. There was something about the neighborhood of Broad Ripple. It could have something to do with Maximo being the Prince and the fact that his mansion is in The Ripple, who knows. I was just looking for somewhere to watch life pass by for a while.

When we got inside I showed her where the bar was and then went looking for Max to tell him there was a new were in town and make sure it was ok for her to stay for a while. I found him quickly but he was surrounded by a large crowd, so I decided to wait and find him again later and see who else was there instead. As I scanned the room, I saw many clusters of were packs and vamp clans with a scattering of loners all over the place. A waitress came up to me and asked if I needed anything and informed me that Max was picking up the tab for the band. I ordered my usual and found a spot to chill out until Max had a minute.

Around eleven o'clock my phone started to vibrate. I looked down at it and saw Maximo's name and a text that said "look up" I turned around and saw him up in the VIP loft, so I headed up there. The view from the balcony of the VIP area was definitely nice. Any one who stood up there could see the whole club much like the view from my office. I found Max sitting on a over stuffed cushion in the middle of a couch with his arms stretched out across the back on either side. Conveniently there was an empty spot next to him so I sat down .

"Hey there, thanks for inviting me to my own club." I laughed as I said it.

We sat and talked for a while. I told him about my comrade and her wanting to stay for a while, and he said that was acceptable as long as she stayed out of trouble and followed the Laws laid out for his city. I promised to do my best to keep her out of trouble.

Max then reminded me that it was about time for us to take the stage. I looked around and saw the rest of the band and motioned for them to meet me back stage. I grabbed Rorie and we were off.

Back stage I introduced Rorie to the rest of the band.

"This is Marie, our drummer, Zoe, our pianist, and MJ, our rhythm guitar… Guys, this is Rorie, she is a friend of mine. She is auditioning for a spot in the group, she plays guitar."

The first thing I noticed was Marie scenting her, the second was a flash of gold eyes and then it was just a blur of growls and claws. I looked at MJ and noticed that she was fighting to control herself.

"Oh, Hell…" I muttered to myself.

I then reached in and grabbed both of them by their scruffs, pulled them apart, and allowed my eyes to flash silver-green as I growled at both of them. After a quick smack to the back of the head for each of them, I informed them that type of behavior would not be tolerated.

"Marie, this girl is my best friend and will be treated with respect, Rorie, you above all should understand a little territorial pissing. Come on girls, play nice… and MJ, don't even think about it. She may be Insoli, but she is family. Is that understood?"

"Yeah, I got you. Sorry…" both Marie and MJ said.

"Good, now do you think we can get this started?" I asked.

"Are you guys going to get out here, or do I get to play tonight?" Skye, our head roadie shouted at us. "come on ladies, we are ready to go here."

I stepped out onto the stage and grabbed my matte black 6 string Bass and positioned myself in front of the Mic. The rest followed me out and settled into their spots. The DJ got on the P A system and announced us.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, please give it up for our own lovely ladies, Guilty By Gender!" The curtain parted. I turned to wink at Rorie and began to play the first part of the bass line in one of my favorite songs. Rorie recognized it right away and followed suit along with the rest of the band.

I leaned toward the mic and announced,

"this is our new single from the _**'through the looking glass**_' album." before we started playing our first couple songs.

Then we covered 'Hello' by Evanescence and 'Face Down' by RJA before we launched into some more tracks from our last two albums.

When our set was finished we all met up in the VIP balcony and had our meet and greet with Maximo's friends, then we all sat off to the side to vote on Rorie joining even though we all knew I was going to get what I want anyway. Eventually everyone parted ways for the evening. I decided I needed another drink so I bid Max good evening and headed down to the bar.

"another Shae Special, please." I signaled Juniper, the new girl I hired the week before. She was ready with it before I got the whole request out. I was beginning to wonder if she was gifted. So many of the humans that worked on the Rez' were. Either that or she was going for employee of the month. Either way, she was tolerable, for a ginger. She just needed to cut back on the patchouli. She wore it every day.

Just then we noticed a commotion on the floor. I made my way through the crowd to see what was going on only to find a group of people in black silk suits with various weapons on their persons were attempting to apprehend Rorie. I asked what the problem was only to be ignored by three of the agents. The fourth finally acknowledged that I was there, let alone speaking. She informed me that my friend was being detained to assess her involvement in an incident that took place in Los Angeles that endangered the veil and then they loaded my friend into the back of a blacked out Chevy Tahoe with orange lights, and peeled out of the parking lot.

"Just fabulous." I said to myself. I really was not wanting to have to call Max and ask for any favors, but she was being taken to a containment facility at Haven & Locke. Their Special Ops team was a bit intimidating and I was not in the mood to mess with them tonight.

Maximo Esposito had such a presence. There definitely was no denying his rank in this area. He ran the majority of Central Indiana. His official title was Prince. Some called him Master, or even Lord. Me, I just called him Max. We had a strange relationship. He was not my Sire, but I looked to him like he was. I had a bond with Max, even though Xander was my true Sire, but he had abandoned me long ago when I chose to study the arts. And thus, I was cast out of his home and left to wander on my own like a Caitiff. I had no official House. I believe Xander was Ventrue, like Max. Max had known me since before my embrace and we were lovers for a while and on and off since then. The result of that being the bond we share now. When Xander abandoned me, Maximo took me under his wing and introduced me to friends of his. I think they looked at me as sort of a pet at first, but I learned anything they were willing to teach me. I was fortunate enough to have access to a wide range of mentors, so I was able to learn everything from fighting to magic to performing arts. I used to joke about starting my own House, but instead I decided to just embrace the eclectic hodge podge that was my unlife and follow my own ever looping, twisting, turning path.

That September, my path had me getting ready to ask Max for a huge favor. I sent Max a message asking to contact somebody back at Haven & Locke and tell them not to take Rorie to the lab. I knew they were always looking for new 'volunteers' for their 'clinical trials'. I just wanted her safe until I could figure out what was going on and get her out of there. I was about to put my phone back into my pocket when suddenly it started ringing. I looked at the screen and saw a picture of Max.

"Yes?" I said hopefully.

"Let me get this strait, dear. You introduce me to your friend who mysteriously showed up in town tonight with no warning. Ask me if she can stay a while, and give her a spot in your band. Then a couple hours later, she is arrested by The Order, and is now being held at Haven & Locke. And you want me to step in and get her out?" He asked in a rather authoritative manner.

"well, when you put it that way, I guess it does sound a bit outlandish, but yes, that is what I'm asking…" I heard a slow intake of breath over the line

"you do realize, Shae, that you are one of the few 'people' I know with a big enough set to ask something like this of me with a straight face and actually have a chance of getting what you seek…"

"yes, I know. And I may be taking advantage of your generosity a little, but if you can help me out on this one, I can owe you a favor… you can call in any time."

"Watch what you say, small one, I just may call you on that." He chuckled.

After a few more minutes on the phone, he agreed to help, but told me it would take a few days. He promised she would be safe and under the watchful eye of one of his people inside until then.

Having made sure my friend was taken care of, I decided to check in with the manager to be sure all was well with the club, did some paperwork, bid farewell, and head back to my place. It had been one hell of a night. I climbed back into my Thing, and headed down Broadripple Ave and made a right on College. I was 2 minutes from my house.

I woke early in the evening. It had been a few days since my friend Rorie had been taken to Haven & Locke and I had scheduled a phone meeting with Elliotte, her lawyer, to get a full update on the situation. So far all I knew was that she had met with Mr. Price a couple times, and that she got my care package and was doing well. This was not enough information for me. I was definitely not satisfied.

I stumbled down the stairs to the kitchen and popped a bag of blood into the water I had boiling and turned off the heat so the blood would not over cook, and then poured it into my favorite mug. "Ah, breakfast of champions" I said to myself as I downed the thick warm liquid and realized that was not what I wanted tonight. Then I made my way back upstairs to make myself ready for the night. (ready meaning big jeans, a T-shirt, and a hoodie)

I made my way outside just as the sun sank beneath the horizon, walked over to lean against my Thing and pulled my phone out to stare at it. (as if that would make it ring faster) I waited a few minutes and then decided to head to the club and work on some paper work that had been piling up on my desk. I hopped into the VW and pulled out onto Sanguine Alley and then made a right onto College, a left on Broad Ripple Ave, and finally a right onto Guilford. It was a very short drive, but I liked my office being so close to my home.

I pulled into my spot at the front of the parking lot on Dead Horse Dr. and slid out of my car. I looked around and saw 'people' everywhere. The village seemed to be busy, which was ok with me. I took a closer look and saw a wide variety of creatures out and about. There were Fae, Elves, Kindred, Lupines, Halflings, Witches, Mages, good old fashion Shifters, and even some Kine. There was definitely an eclectic mix in the Rez' tonight. As I looked around I wondered just how many of those humans knew what was around them. I was betting not very many, although, most of the humans who hang around this area after dark tend to be able to accept and suspect most anything. Granted, there are always the ones who just want to be around us 'Others' because it makes them feel special, but they are usually pretty easy to spot. Then there are the ones who are trying to rebel against human society. Sometimes they are ok, sometimes they are just crazy. The crazy ones are easy to deal with though, just a little 'glamour' and they can be sent away with no recollection of what they were doing. I couldn't wait to see who came into my club that night.

I unlocked the door and walked in to find the lights were already on and my new bartender, Juniper, had the place almost ready to open the doors.

"you're here a little early…" I said to her, waiting for an explanation.

"got into a fight with an asshole at the tat shop, so I'm suspended for a week. Didn't think you would mind if I came in early to do some cleaning. I didn't clock in, I just needed to blow off some steam." she explained as she handed me a warm blood. I decided that was it, I had to know what her gift was.

"I have to ask…. " I said.

"yes, I see, I read, I communicate, and if the price is right, I can be at your beck and call any time, anywhere." she laughed as she said all this.

"I knew it. You give off a signature that is not quite human, but not quite Other, either…"

"my mom was human… as for the other half, I have no idea"

" that makes sense… if you are serious, you let me know what kind of salary you need to be able to quit the tattoo shop and we can negotiate…"

And then I was on my way to my office, which was upstairs and overlooked the whole club. I opened the door and looked at my desk. It was covered. I decided I needed an assistant to handle the little stuff that way I could focus more on the important things. After I made that decision I skimmed through the mail, saw that there was nothing important and turned to walk out. And ran right into Max. "oh hell" I said. "don't sneak up on me like that."

"if I didn't know better I might think you were trying to hide something," He said "but I know better and so do you… right?"

I gave a short bow of respect and invited him to have a dink with me. Max accepted and we headed down the stairs to sit at the bar. This seemed like a good time to test Juniper's skills. I was very lucky that he was not a reader himself. Not that I would ever dream of deceiving Max, it just seemed like a good opportunity to test her.

We sat down at the bar and Juniper refreshed my usual, took a minute to look at Maximo, and handed him a tall glass of A positive. He looked at me and smiled.

"So, you finally got a reader working for you, it's about time. What are you doing wasting her skills behind the bar?" he asked me. I responded with "actually, this is her audition… and I think she just passed." I turned to look at the freckle faced redhead, "if you are interested, we can talk numbers and benefits after close tonight"

"hey, if the terms are right, I am all yours." She said. "I would rather work for you than Haven & Locke, that's for sure!"

I gave her a questioning look after that last statement, but she had already moved on to a phone call. I tuned my hearing a little to eavesdrop, and learned she was quitting her position at Metamorphosis. I did a little happy dance in my head. Juniper and Max both looked at me and smiled. I kept forgetting that our bond allowed him to read my thoughts and feelings. This realization caused me to be a little embarrassed, but that passed quickly. Max looked at the redhead and then at me and asked the obvious question. "what I want to know is will you allow me to borrow her services from time to time?" At this request I looked at her waiting for an answer. While I am her Mistress, I will not force her into servitude. I want her happy and compliant.

"if Miss Shae doesn't mind, I'm good with it."

"It's all set then, but Max, please keep this quiet… I don't want to have to kill anyone for kidnapping one of my retinue."

Max asked if I had gotten an update on the whole Rorie situation yet and I had to tell him that I had not. Luckily he decided to fill me in. over the next few hours I learned that she was basically in a posh holding cell made for politicians and celebrities. And that she had been given the best treatment, but it looked like she was actually going to have to stand trial for endangering The Veil. (most of the human population had no clue about all of us and didn't really want one.) after hearing this, I was glad that the tour was over and GBG was taking break so everyone could get some R&R. It was a selfish thought, but I didn't need any extra drama for or from the band. And it seemed that this trial may bring some.

"Elliotte is going to represent her for the whole trial?" I asked.

"yes, those were his instructions, now lets hope he is a good little boy and follows them."

"ok, well I guess I have taken up enough of your time, I will let you get to your business." Max said and got up to head toward the door.

" thank you for coming to see me and put my mind at ease. I really do appreciate it. Is there any tribute I can offer to show my gratitude? Or are you going to surprise me when you come up with something good?" I asked. It was always a good idea to offer tribute to your ruling parties. They being the ones who determine just how easy life was in a particular area for a particular 'person'.

"oh, don't worry, small one, I will definitely let you know." He said, and with that, he gave me and Juniper a quick nod and was out the door.

I looked at the clock and realized it was time for the rest of the crew to arrive and open the doors and then realized I was still in jeans and a hoodie. This would not do, so I ran up to my office and rushing right past my over piled desk, I went to the back door and opened it. On the other side was my private chambers there at the club which included a shower, vanity, sleeping area and a full closet. I couldn't have my customers see someone in the club dressed in jeans and sweats, especially not me. I pulled out a dark red flowing shirt that had been shredded and had black straps and buckles all over it, and a black skirt that looked like it was made from layers of shredded lace, and some knee high, black, leather, strappy boots. I was really into the goth stereotype sometimes. I threw on some smokey eyes, shimmer, and plum colored lipstick, stood back, looked at myself, and said "Yeah, I'd do me…" then emerged from my office to inspect the crew's appearance for the evening.

For the first time in weeks, I didn't have to send anyone home to change clothes. All were dressed to kill, so to speak. My employees were supposed to look hot, flirt, appear available, and make sure everyone wants to come back. I had 50 employees at this location alone, between the door, the bar, the dancers, the DJ, B Lac Thie, and the attendants. It was not my only business, but it was my favorite and it was the one where I had my office. I also had rooms for rent on the lower levels for visitors who get caught by the sunrise or other complications.

Ten O'clock rolled around and the doors opened. The flood of bodies through the door actually surprised me. There was a line of about 50 or so waiting to get in. It was a good opening crowd, B Lac started things off with some Disturbed, a little Evanescence, KoRn, Zombie, and then threw me off by playing some Dropkick Murpheys. I could tell it was going to be a good night. Since there was no band tonight, there was a big screen on the stage showing clips from different ' Monster' films and various music videos. It was synced with smaller screens all over the club. I thought it was a nice touch, given our main clientele. After doing a round of the place to say hello to guests and see who was there that was noteworthy, I noticed that Max had returned. I gave him the V.I.P. loft again for himself and his party. (What the Prince wants the Prince gets.) He also got his own server so that he didn't have to wait.

There is one table at the club that is always reserved for me, and that is where I sat with my mountain of mail and paperwork. In front of me was a stack of junk mail, time cards, contracts to go over from my record label, invoices, stock requests to consider, and much more. I motioned Juniper to come over and decided that was the best place to start. So I handed her a note pad and told her to write down what she wanted and I just sat there and waited quietly. When she was done she handed it back and all it said was 1500.00 a week, insurance, and a business credit card. I obviously thought that was more than satisfactory, but just to have fun I added one of my rental properties, and 500 more a week. Employees like this should be kept happy, and she quit her other job before she even knew my offer, that was loyalty. I wanted her to stay around. She looked at my suggestion, smiled, and just stuck her hand out for a key and address. I shook my head and laughed. Then I gave her a 'welcome' packet. It had in it a Hole in The Wall credit card, note card with an address of a small but nice house, and a set of keys. I then indicated that she should formally make a request of Max to live 'on the Rez' and sent her up to the loft. One thing done.

Next, I grabbed the time cards and went over them matching them with the printout I had from the computer. I was almost done when I smelled someone absolutely delicious standing close to me. I looked up to see a tall, dark haired, grey eyed, man. He reminded me of an incarnation of Dionysus, and he smelled amazing. I could feel my fangs coming out. I smiled at him and asked if there was anything I could do to him. He laughed. Then he sat down at my table and said he was looking for a girl named Heather. And wanted to know if I had seen her. He showed me a picture and the first thing I said was

"and your interest would be…?" I hated it people came through looking for random person 'A' who broke their heart or stole their widget or some such nonsense. Of course I had seen her so I asked if we could negotiate a trade. I give him a clue and he gives me a taste. Much to my surprise, he agreed. Right about that time Juniper came back to the table and just stopped and looked at mister tall and tasty. Then she looked at me nodded, smiled, and walked away. I stood up and asked his name.

" Michael, Miss, Michael Skillington" He said.

"well Mr. Skillington, follow me…" I said as I took his hand and led him up to my office, which was cleaned up now thanks to Ginger, the 'house keeper'. I led him over to my desk and leaned over it pulling up a file I had stored on it. I kept a log of every one I met and added to each file as I learned more about the subject. This Heather person had no last name listed and her species had not been updated yet, but she was one of a set of triplets and I had last seen her about two weeks prior. She was in my club with some elf. Michael seemed happy with the sighting info and said that I had confirmed some other things he had heard. The next thing I knew I was in his arms and he was guiding me over to my couch. His lips tasted like strawberries and were warm. His tongue was just as warm and tasty. Before I knew it, I found myself allowing him to undress me and getting intimate. When I could wait no longer, I sank my teeth into a beautiful climax. He tasted better than he smelled. I had to control myself so as not to take too much. Afterward, I made sure to give a healing lick so he didn't walk out with marks on his neck. Before he walked out my door, he turned, took my hand, kissed the back of it, and looked me in my eyes saying

"it was an honor to make your acquaintance Miss Shae and I hope to call on you again in the near future." and walked out my door. I hardly knew what to do with myself. I put myself back together and went back downstairs still in a bit of a daze.

"damn, I still have to finish payroll" I muttered to myself.

Lucky for me, the rest of my paperwork only took about two hours, so I had the rest of the evening to myself. I spent quite a bit of it thinking about my new chew toy, and wondering when I might see him for another play date. When I was done with that, I began making rounds of the club making sure that the sanctuary spells were intact and checking on my guests. Once I was sure all was well, I passed the reins to Juniper and decided to try to visit Rorie.

I grabbed my keys, and bag and headed for the village. I stopped at a few of the shops and grabbed what I thought would be needed things and packed up another care package of food, clothing, music, some more books, and a 'thinking of you' card. I packed it all into another giant silvery reflective bag with tissue on the top and made it look all pretty and silver. I loved having a Were for a friend. Let alone one who appreciated the joke. I just didn't want her to think I had forgotten her. For someone who, for the most part, doesn't like people I was very worried that she would think I had overlooked her. I headed to the house first so I could grab some cash and stopped right in front of my driveway. There was my friend sitting on my porch. I was out of the car and on her at vampire speed with a hug. Then I paused stepped back and looked at her…

"what are you doing out? I was just about to go see you." I held up the bag so she could see it.

"I am out for now as long as I show up for the trial. It looks like the trial is just going to be a formality. Elliotte said the video was on a phone, grainy, and looked fake. I should be ok, but I am to report to Maximo for instructions. After the Trial it will be up to him if I am allowed to stay or not. I am hoping to be able to stay in the area for at least a couple months."

"well, ok then…" was all I could come up went inside and got her settled into the spare bedroom and the first thing she did was take a bath. I walked into the room and asked if she planned on staying with me while she was here, because if she did, then I was going to put off hiring a new day person. She said she would handle the day to day stuff around the house while she was here. That sounded like a workable plan for now. I told her I would put the paperwork in and we would discuss pay tomorrow evening but left her some cash for the time being. I bid her goodnight and headed out the door for some fun. Somewhere in this city there was mischief to be had and I wanted in on it, so I headed toward downtown Indianapolis.

Things were quiet for the next couple weeks. Rorie had gone on a couple dates with Mr. Price and things seemed to be going well between them. Rorie was an exceptional Day attendant. She handled everything and even anticipated some things I hadn't. She and Juniper were collaborating to take care of business for me through the day. It was a nice change for me.

I sat at the desk in my office at home and began looking over the many things the girls had laid out for my approval. Most important to me were the invitations for the Samhain celebration I was hosting at my club. I looked at the options before me and decided to go with one that was a nice combination of traditional harvest theme and beautiful gothic. It was on thick, hand made, dark red stock, with cornucopias embossed one the bottom, fall leaves embossed along the top, and in darkest brown, gothic writing it read

_**Mistress Shae McDougal**_

_**Requests your presence at**_

_**Her 33**__**rd**__** annual **_

_**Samhain Festival **_

_**Held at 'The Hole In The Wall'**_

_**Dress is Formal **_

_**Masks are optional**_

_**RSVP **_

I made my necessary notes and set that aside. Next on my list was payroll. I was so glad I had finally linked my offices with my home. This made it so much easier. After about an hour of thinking I paid some of my employees way too much, I was finally done. Once I finally got to the bottom of the stack I saw a cream colored envelope with a dark red seal on it and no return address. Cautiously I opened the envelope.

"Oh my Goddess…" I gasped.

It was a note from my Sire, Alexander.

_My Dearest Shae,_

_Long have I watched you from afar, only intervening when absolutely necessary. I have come to the conclusion I can stay away no longer. I know you think I abandoned you, but I promise I did not. I have always known where you are and what is going on in your world. I have to say I am not happy to see you running around with that wolf again, but you are your own woman and will do what you please no matter what. I am pleased that Max has also kept an eye on you. He is a good friend. _

_I will be visiting your club on Guilford this evening at midnight. Please be there. I will find you. I am not sure that you will recognize me. _

_Love, _

_Your Sire_

_Alexander Odin Aesir_

I looked up at the clock on my wall, it was only 9:30. I still had time. Rorie was out on a date again this evening so she would not be back until at least three or four in the morning. I would have the place to myself. I checked the other guest room to make sure it was company ready just in case. It was. I ran into my room, stripped, jumped in the shower and scrubbed and rinsed. So much for being able to work in my pajamas tonight. After my shower, I threw on a pair of black, pinstriped, straight legged slacks, and a red short sleeved button up dress shirt with tiny black skulls all over it and a fitted vest that matched my slacks. I then looked at my shoes to see what I would wear and decided to go with my old stand by, my black chunky healed boots. After all that I looked in the mirror and fixed my eye and lip make up, and after trying several styles, decided to leave my streaked hair in a braid hanging down my back.

Again I looked at the clock. This time it said 10:48. I grabbed my bag and keys and headed out the door. I was so uneasy and surprised by the whole situation I didn't know what to think. I hopped into my yellow VW Thing and headed down College Ave. to Broad Ripple Ave. and then turned on Guilford and pulled up to the club. There was a line down the sidewalk of humans waiting to get in. All I could think was that they had my money in their pockets and they needed give it up.

"please don't let there be any trouble tonight…" I said to Luna as I walked to the door and greeted Christopher and Juniper.

She was ready for me and handed me my drink right away. She walked with me to my booth and sat down looking at me. She waited until I had finished my first drink and motioned for another before asking if I wanted to talk about it.

"not yet" I said. "just promise me that you will take care of things for me if need be"

She looked at me with a sad expression and told me it would be alright and that she would keep the peace tonight so I didn't have to worry about it.

"thank you" I said.

She then looked at her watch and said it was time for her to go but she would be around if I needed her.

Not 5 minutes after she got up a tall blonde man came over and asked if the seat was taken. I told him it was free for about two minutes and then it would be occupied. Then the brightest blue eyes I have ever seen winked at me and said "it already is my Childe." as he sat down. Oh Hell, I thought.

I sat there and took a big swig from my O-neg. looking at the striking man sitting across from me. I signaled for Juniper to come over, and she immediately appeared by our table.

"this is my assistant, Juniper." She bowed low and waited for him to acknowledge her.

" Juniper, my name is Alexander, I am your Mistress' Sire." He said as he eyed the small redhead.

"You will call him Master and inform everyone else of the same. Understood?" I explained.

"Yes Mistress." she replied. I was glad she picked up on the need for more formal etiquette while he is here. She then turned to him and asked

"Master, do you require anything? I can have Lafayette mix you up something, or I can find you a donor if you like." She waited for a response, head slightly bowed, eyes down. She was magnificent.

"I will take a donor if you have one."

"Right away Master. I will send one up to VIP to wait for you. Any specific requests?"

"Find him something with a little Fae in it." I instructed.

She looked at me and sent the question to my head, 'shall I offer myself? Will he need much?' I gave her a reassuring nod and thought, hoping she would read it, 'if you are comfortable with it, you should be fine, he is old and won't need much. I would even be willing to offer a bonus if you so choose.' Juniper looked at me and then looked at my Sire and offered her hand saying,

"Master, if you like, I will escort you up to VIP myself."

He looked from her to me and back, and with raised eyebrow and a smirk on his face he took her hand and bade me follow. So just like that we were all on our way up to the privacy of my own VIP loft.

When we got up there I sat down on a chaise and signaled for another drink, while Xander pulled Juniper onto his lap and whispered something reassuring in her ear. She blushed and informed him that she could not be glamoured and he once again raised an eyebrow looking from me to her. After that it appeared that he was going to use her arousal to soften the bite. My second in command did not seem to mind. I excused myself for a moment to give her some privacy and see if that was actually Mr. Skillington down there on the floor.

Almost as if he knew I was staring at him, he turned around and looked right at me. I motioned for him to come up and in what seemed like seconds, he was there. My own incarnation of Dionysus. I took his hand and led him over to my chaise and sat down, he was instantly on me. Just his smell and smoldering eyes were enough to triggered a reaction as I felt my fangs run down. And then he reached out and slipped his fingers into my hair while cradling my neck in his palm. He slowly kissed his way down my throat to the base of my neck while his other hand was unbuttoning my blouse. His kisses extended down to my chest as he slid my bra to the side and cupped my breast in his hand. I felt his tongue tracing the curve of my breast and circling around to my nipple. His teeth gently teased while his other hand slid and caressed its way down the other side of my body. It was all I could do to just hold on to him. My hands were feverishly trying to remove his shirt without tearing it. His shirt open and hanging at his sides I began kissing, nibbling, and licking every part of him I can get a hold of. He pushed me back on the chaise and settled his gorgeous form on top of me. I could feel his arousal as he was grinding his hips against mine. Then he backed off just a little and I could feel his warm hand unbuttoning my slacks and slipping its way into my undergarments. I could not suppress the moan of enjoyment that escaped my lips. Immediately after the sound was released, his lips claimed mine in a soft but demanding kiss. At the same time his fingers found their way into my core while his thumb circled my sensitive little nub. His other hand left my breast and embraced my neck and hair. Unwilling to wait any longer, I moved my hand down to help him out of his black silk slacks. I slipped out of his grasp and removed his pants and my clothing at vampire speed. I climbed on top of his body, straddling his hips and working him with my hand. His hand returned to my nub as I lifted myself up just enough to slide myself onto his hardened length. We moaned together as I felt his other hand rest on my hip. I slowly moved up and down and back and forth. Our speed increases as tension builds and just as he is about to release I sank my fangs into his neck and found my release as I took those first couple pulls from his wound. He was magnificent.

I had completely forgotten that my Sire and assistant were just on the other side of the curtain. I could tell they have been done for a little while and had just been listening to us. Oops. I hurriedly dressed and fixed myself while Michael did the same. Just as I was adjusting my vest I saw the curtain move and I heard a roar of laughter escape my Master's lips as he pushed the curtain all the way back. I stand there with my head down looking at the floor. I was too embarrassed to look up at him. Yes, up at him. He has got to be at least 6 feet tall, maybe more. I heard him walk over to me and I felt his hand lift my chin so I was looking into his eyes.

"Do not be embarrassed little one, you are the Master of this house, I did not come here to subjugate you, I came to befriend you and see if we can work together. I did not abandon you, I set you free and watched from a close distance in case you needed help. You did not. You are a free spirit and always have been, that is what I love about you. So many times I have wanted to present myself to you but I was afraid you were not ready to receive me. We have too many overlapping contacts and associates now, I could not wait any longer. We both owe fealty to the same Prince and I hope to earn your fealty as well." And then he just stood there looking at me.

" I…. I … I need to go home. Are you coming with me?"

"I will meet you there, I must make sure Miss Potts here makes it to her home ok." he replied. I then turned to look at Mr. Skillington. I opened my mouth to ask if I will see him again and he held his hand up to silence me, saying

"I must be going my love, it was a pleasure as always." he took my hand in his and kissed it, giving me goose bumps, and whispered,

"until next we meet…" and then he was gone. He didn't walk away, he was just gone.

I made sure all was well at the club and grabbed my bag and headed out to my car. There was that blonde man again, just standing there leaning against it, shaking his head.

"what?" I asked.

"all the wealth you have amassed and you drive this."

"what would you have me drive? I like Volkswagens and this is one of my favorites. It has been fully restored and tweaked. Would you like to give it a run?" I threw him my keys. We climbed in and after many detours, we arrived at my house.

"it is misleading" he says.

"it's called a sleeper" I reply. "it looks old and stock, but it is actually quite the bad little car!"

"it suits you" was all he said.

I opened the door and invited him in, giving him the grand tour and asking him not to wake my room mate. He asks why I would keep such company and I explain

"she is a loyal friend and she is my Daytime Manager. She works hand in hand with Juniper to take care of what ever I need them to handle."

I show him to the other guest room and tell him it is his to use if he chooses. I show him how thick and heavy the curtains are and how well they block the sun.

We sit in my bedroom and talk all night. I mix him one of my favorite drinks and he graciously accepts it. After a swirl and a sip, he seems to like it. We lose track of time and end up both sleeping in my room for the day.


	2. Chapter 2

The following evening, my eyes opened a little before sunset. For some reason I can never stay asleep from sun up to sun down. I saw Alexander passed out across the other side of my bed and it took me a moment to remember the events of the night before. I tucked him the rest of the way in and headed into my bathroom to shower for the evening. I checked my ipod and dock, selected a relaxing play list full of piano and violin music, set my shower, strip down and hop in. Lost in my play list and the smell of my body wash and shampoo, I did not hear Xander wander into the bathroom until he pulled back the shower curtain and startled me.

"Do you have room for one more, little one?" he asked me. I took full advantage of the situation and appreciated the demi-god standing before me.``

"Are you really asking or just being polite?"

"Well, as your Sire, I can always make you let me in, but where is the fun in that?"

"In that case, I guess you may enter…" I said in an unsure voice.

"Little one, there is no need to be scared of me, I only wish to hear what every man that sires a beautiful woman wants to hear, his name being screamed in ecstasy. Would you deny me this? I have only waited four centuries to hear it."

"I… uh…" words failed me at that moment. I could see that he picked up on that, because the next thing I knew, he was behind me taking my scrubby from me and gently washing my back. Then he grabbed the bottle of body wash and squeezed some into his hands and worked up a lather. Suddenly all I could feel was his hands gently washing every inch of my body. I tried not to, but I couldn't help it, and a moan escaped my lips. I didn't want him to stop. So I did what any girl would do in that situation, I lathered my hands and returned the favor, taking care to clean all his parts. I asked him to kneel so I could wash his hair, and as soon as the last drop of soap ran down the drain, he was up and taking me with him. My legs wrapped around his waist, one of his hands holding my bottom, the other wrapped in my hair, pinning me against the wall. There was a short moment where our eyes met. As I looked into those pools of his, I saw nothing but desire and need that matched my own at that moment. Then he claimed my lips. His tongue brushed my top lip, begging entrance. I invited it in with a gentle massage from my own. I clung to his body with my arms, as he moved his hand from my bottom to my core. He could tell I was ready for him, so he pushed his large member into me, stretching me to that thin line between pleasure and pain. He held onto my hip, to help me stay in place. There was nothing slow or gentle about it, it was all need and passion. This was about reconnecting. The speed and force of our thrusts increased.

"Oh, Goddess!… AH… AH…AH… Xander, Oh My… AAAHHHH!" I screamed between moans and other incoherent sounds.

"Now…" he growled softly into my neck, and with that we sank out fangs into each other for a lovers' exchange and I reached the deepest climax I had ever known. He did not release me right away, he just held me there slowly continuing to penetrate me until he was completely spent. He gently set my feet on the floor and turned off the water. I grabbed a towel for each of us. Just as we were drying off there was a knock on my bedroom door.

"Shae? Are you ok?" Rorie called through my door. I checked the time to be sure the sun was down, and then walked over to the door to my chamber. The look I saw on Rorie's face was priceless. Her jaw hung open and she just stared from my face to the blonde demi-god standing next to me. I heard laughing ring through my head. It was not my own.

"What the hell?" I looked at my Sire whose voice I heard in my head again.

'Yes, now that out bond is renewed, you and I can communicate with each other telepathically.'

'Oh hell' was all I could come up with. My best friend and roommate just stood there looking back and forth between us for a moment.

"Um, who is this big ol' hunk of yumminess" Rorie finally said.

"Rorie, this is my Sire, Alexander Odin Aesir. The third bedroom is his. I do not know how long he will be in the area, but as long as he is here, he may stay here. He will take the other bedroom… I will have to talk to Juniper, I think with three of us staying here, we will need to hire some trustworthy household staff…"

"Probably not a bad idea, I talked to her today, she … uhm… she had good things to say about our Norse god here…" Rorie said without taking her eyes off his half naked body. "I found a bag in the back of Shae's car and brought it in. I figured it was yours."

"Thank you, Miss Devoe, it is … Nice… to see you again."

"When have you seen me before?" she asked.

"I have always been close by. I have made it a point to know what and who is going on in my Childe's life, even if she did not realize it. I am her Sire and that is my job. I hope your actions will not be causing any distress for her…"

"Well, I hadn't planned to cause Shae any distress." She replied with a little more attitude than I had hoped for. "… if you are referring to my current legal issues, shit happens, we all make mistakes, I really hope you don't intend on holding that one against me. The Masquerade was not endangered." With that, she spun on her heel and stomped off mumbling under her breath. All I could do was apologize to Xander and hope I would not be punished for her disrespect.

Things were fairly normal for the next few days, and then I received a message from Maximo. He wanted to use my house as neutral ground to hold a meeting. Obviously, I was not going to say no, he is my Prince, so I agreed. The next thing I did was get in touch with Christopher, my head of security. This was not going to be fun. I informed him that we would need ample security for the meeting, and that I would like confirmation as soon as possible. I wanted to make sure the place was warded and sealed up tight from unwanted eyes and ears. I got a very simple answer that told me everything would be ok. The text simply said, "as you wish Mistress". I proceeded to inform him that I would need guards posted on the property as well as around the neighborhood and at the entrances.

'It is good to have a loyal following. I wonder if anything ever happened to Max, would I be able to take over and run the area…' I thought to myself. 'No, they would never allow a Caitiff to run the city. It's best to just make sure that doesn't happen. I don't know who would replace him but I know I wouldn't have the freedom that I do now.'

After taking a moment to myself for my ponderings, I made a mental note of who would be there for this meeting. I needed to talk to Juniper and make sure that everything is ready and all species are catered to. I sent her a text message and waited for a reply while I sat at my desk in my home office. I pulled out a note pad and start making notes on what would be needed for things to run smoothly. I then picked up my phone and called Max.

"Espesito here." He answers.

"Hey, about this meeting, do I get any specifics so I can plan properly? I would hate to offend one of your guests."

"Of course, little bit, I was just compiling the list myself. I am looking at about 30 guests between the Primogens and a few others. I expect you, Xander, Rorie, and Miss Potts to be there as well. "

"It will be done as you wish."

"You have never been so formal with me, il mio piccolo, what is wrong?"

"Nothing, I just have a bad feeling about this, and I can't quite figure out why. It is just a meeting…"

"It is ok, you are just sensitive to the energies around you. There is something coming, I can feel it too, we just have to wait and be prepared."

"I know, … "

"I heard your reunion with your Sire was a good one?" He half states, half asks.

"It was, we have renewed our bond. I am confused though. He said you have been in contact with him the whole time…"

"I have, and at his wishes I have kept an eye on you and said nothing. I did report back to him on your progress. He has always been very proud of you, he, I believe, regrets the decision to stay in the shadows and is hoping you will understand. Do you … how do you feel about all of this?"

"I… he is my Sire, so I will love him, but I am … unsure… having a bond with both of you is… "

"Ours should be fading because we have not renewed it in so long, I am not going to love you any less for turning to your Sire. He should come first. Take the time to know him. I am sure you will find him very much worth it."

"I will. … I need to get back to work. Be careful. Please."

"You too. Keep me updated, Ma belle."

Shae hung up the phone and fussed with the items on her desk.

While Shae was in her office at her house, putting the finishing touches on the invitations and plans for her Samhain Festival at the club, she received a call from an unknown number. She cautiously answered it.

"Hello?" She said with uncertainty.

"Hello, is this Ms. McDougal? Of the Hole in the Wall?" The man on the other end asked. She could tell from his voice that he was vampire and this caused her to relax just a little. She took an unnecessary breath and replied.

"Yes, this is assistant to the Prince and owner of The Hole In The Wall, and to whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?"

"My name is Eric Northman, I have been serving as a Sheriff is Louisiana until recently. My brother and I have arrived in the area this evening and happened upon your website. After reading your second page, we were hoping you would be able to assist us in securing lodging."

"Of course, Mr. Northman, I can meet up with you shortly and we can go over a few things and I can make sure you have the Prince's contact info so you can check in. Are you and your brother planning on staying for an extended amount of time?"

"If things are agreeable, we hope to be in the area for some years. Louisiana is just too unstable and, we are hoping for a fresh start. If things go well, we may call some vampires that were in my retinue to join us, but one step at a time."

"Of course."

She gave Eric directions to The Lofts and the number to a trusted car service. The arranged to meet up in an hour, so she left her office to go make herself presentable. She donned a charcoal pant suit with chunky healed boots and a fuchsia silk top. She then tied her long streaked hair back with a clip and headed out. As she drove the short distance to The Lofts, her mind wandered to Max and Xander. She was feeling like she was serving two masters all of the sudden and she wasn't sure how she felt about it.

NPOV

As Eric and Alex pulled up to the office at the entrance to The Lofts and exited the vehicle, they were greeted by a five foot tall woman with long dark hair, silver eyes, and fangs showing.

"You must be Eric and Alex." She says. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Shae McDougal. I work for Prince Espesito. He regrets not being here to greet you himself, but we have a bit of a situation brewing in the area and he was needed. Please follow me and I will show you to your apartment. I was told that you two would be sharing a residence?"

"Yes…" Alex answered cautiously. "Do you know when we might be able to have an audience with His Highness?"

"I will pass your contact info along so you can be put on his schedule, it may take a day or two, though." Shae replied. It did not escape her notice that she and Eric seemed to be connected by blood somehow. She decided to look into that later.

"Thank you." Eric says.

Shae led the two men to a large apartment with two separate master suites with walk in closets and full baths with showers and Jacuzzi tubs. The apartment also has two guest rooms with baths, a full sized sitting room, den and formal dining room. She informed them that the kitchen is stocked with blood, food and appliances, gave Eric the contact information for Friendly Farms, directions to Hole In The Wall, told them to stop by the next evening and bid them good day. After they explored their new residence and unpacked their bags, both men retired to their rooms for the morning.

Shae opened the door to her office so she could descend the stairs and get on with her business for the night and was greeted by an unexpected sight. There was a rag-tag group of 'people' gathered on the dance floor that were not staff. And two of them seemed to be under age. The shorter dark haired under aged girl stood tall with a confident and powerful stance while radiating 'otherness'. The other girl was taller with dark blonde hair and did not stand as tall. Shae observed that she seemed a bit introverted. She did not think this was going to go well.

The ragtag group of people stand gaping at the woman coming down the stairs. The dark haired minor walked up to Shae as she got to the bottom of the steps and leaned in to whisper to her,

"You're a vampire, aren't you…"

Shae leans in as well and whispers back,

"Yes I am, but what are you and why are you in my club?"

The girl started laughing loudly, showed Shae her stamp, and answered at a normal volume.

"I'm a Skyla, that is my friend Annie and we're visiting Miss Juniper. She used to work with my mom and I."

"I see, well then, Miss Skyla, you have a similar name as one of the girls that takes care of the gear for my band….interesting… anyway, I am Shae. Can I count on you to stay out of trouble this evening ? If I tell you to go to my office, will you do it?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Just how old are you?"

"I am 17, Miss Shae. I swear I will stay out of trouble, I know you will be taking a big risk by allowing me to be in your club… Can I visit with Mr. Chris though? I haven't seen him in a couple years…"

Shae looked from Skyla to the security at the door of the club. The only thing she got from him was a sheepish grin. She chuckled to herself.

"I think I can agree to that, just be sure you stay out of the way."

Shae then watched as the girl ran over to her head of security and leapt into his arms, tackling him with a giant bear hug. She thought to herself that the scene before her would give her ammunition for teasing, well into the future, then laughed to herself.

After she gave the girl time to reconnect to her 'Shrek', as she called him, Shae spoke with Christopher briefly, touched base with Juniper, and ordered a drink. She needed to have her wits about her.

A short time later, the doors were opened and the first group of people paid their money and flooded through the doors. She motioned for Juniper to follow her over to her booth and found Xander already sitting there. She talked with her Sire for a few minutes and then mentioned that she had some business to attend to. Xander then excused himself and headed out toward the dance floor.

About thirty minutes later Eric Northman and his brother Alex walked through the door of The Whole in the Wall, stopped about ten feet inside, and looked around.

"Javla skit! Efter alla dessa ar, kan det verklignen vara mina broder? Erik! Alex! Kom, sitta med mig. Sag mid, vad har du tva haft for sig?" Yelled Xander from where he was over by the dance floor, moving as fast as he could with out raising suspicions of any humans that might be there. The three Scandinavians were the focus of many sets of eyes once they finally picked a table and settled in to get re acquainted.

Shae watched the whole scene in awe. It did not escape her attention that her Maker had just called Eric his brother. That explained what she was feeling in her blood. She also guessed that she would not be needing to meet with the brothers this evening if they were related to Xander. She also guessed that Max had probably already met them at some point, and if not, Xander's word would go a log way in their favor. Shae wondered if she had any other family out there that she did not know about.

Since she did not have to worry about Eric and Alex, she decided to walk the room a little and see what was going on and how her customers and guests were enjoying their time in her establishment. While making her rounds, she noticed a very old vampire she had not seen in a little over a hundred years. To her dismay, he was talking to the minor, Skyla. Shae decided to go over and make her presence known.

"Hello Godric, long time no see… how have you been? Does Max know you are in the area? " She turned to Skyla.

"Skyla, how are you doing this evening? Are you enjoying yourself?"

Godric replied,

"Hello Shae, yes I have checked in with Max… and I have been better and I have been worse, so I cannot complain. I just happened to be over by the bar and saw this young lady standing alone, so I came over to introduce my self and see if she would like to dance." Skyla just blushed at his comment. Shae looked from the young girl to Godric and decided to fill him in on a few details about his new friend.

"Godric, this is Skyla, she is only 17 years old and is not to be fed from. She also will be important to the area soon I have a feeling, so, as odd as this is for me to say to someone this much older than me, please be on your best behavior… Oh, and by the way, her mother is here as well… just so you know."

"Please consider me duly warned, Ma Petit… " He turned to Skyla.

"Now, how about that dance?" And with that, the 2000 year old vampire and young girl made their way to the middle of the dance floor.

The evening was relatively uneventful. Shae was grateful for that as she sent her nightly check in e-mail to Max. She had had a chance to speak with all of the visitors that her assistant had brought in and even got some time to speak with Eric and Alex. They had said that they loved her club and couldn't wait to bring some of their friends to the area to see it. Both men had been respectful and well behaved. Eric had disappeared at one point for a while with Skyla's mother, but the young one had already left with Godric.

She told them they could come back anytime and made sure their names were a permanent addition to the door list.

Alex had apparently run into a woman he had known out in Los Angeles and they seemed to hit it off. She smelled like she was part Fae and seemed to be a highly intelligent business owner. Becky was her name.

The group as a whole seemed to all be Other in some way, Shae found this quite interesting. After having Juniper read and give report on each member of the group, Shae made the decision to extend an invitation to most of them to be held on retainer. She was of the opinion that you can never have too many tricks up your sleeve. She knew that she should have checked with her Prince before making a decision like that, but she was hoping he would not see a problem with it, after all, her retinue was part of his so she was just securing some additional strength and skills for them. She decided to call Desmond over at Haven & Locke to have some basic contracts drawn up to retain services and figured she would keep them on hand to be presented after any useful skills were made known. She definitely needed to talk to Heather about her daughter, but working with the under aged could prove to be a lot of trouble.

Once her phone call to Desmond was completed, she pulled out her notes on this meeting Max wanted her to put together for him and began going over them. As she looked over what she had so far, she realized that she was going to need more space than she had at her home. She sent an e-mail to the club staff stating that it would be closed tomorrow and then sent one to a couple of her best servers offering a bonus if they would be willing to work a private event Friday night. Naturally all six replied that they would love to, so she sent another message to them informing them that they should wear black slacks, dress shoes, white button up shirts, bowties, and have hair and make up done in a professional manner. She then attached a copy of the confidentiality agreement an old acquaintance of hers used at his company, Extreme(ly Elegant) Events. It appeared to cover everything adequately. Now to call Juniper and Rorie and see what was already set up and what still needed done. She figured this would go quicker if they could meet up so she summoned both to her office.

"Good evening ladies!" -S

"Hey Girl… what's up?" -R

"Good evening, Shae." -J

"I will make this quick because I know we all have other things to attend to this evening. What all do you have set up for tomorrow's meeting?" -S

"I have the catering handled with a very wide range of edibles and drinkables for all of our guests, I wanted to ask you, though, about moving it to the club… but I see you have already done that. I think that will work best for the group we will have. I will be sure the caterer knows about the change in venue." -J

"I have gotten together with 'Shrek' to be sure there is more than enough security, though I, too, feel a lot better about this whole thing being moved to the club… I wasn't very happy with this thing being in our home, it made me worry about you and Xander. I know you guys can take care of yourselves, but during the day…" -R

"I have the same concerns, this is part of the reason why I moved it. I do not want all of those strangers in our safe haven… I am touched by your concern for Xander… I know you two do not share the best relationship… proof once again that my love for you is not misplaced! Any way, back to business, starting tomorrow morning, the club will also have new wards on it… to keep the staff and patrons safe. It should all work out for the best I am sure… I believe that covers everything, so thank you for helping me with this and you may go and continue with your night." -S

"You are welcome, let me know if you need anything else. Good evening." -J

"Right on, I'm gonna head back down to Elliotte and see if I can convince him to head out and have a little grown up fun… later hon'!" -R

"See you later at the house…" -S

After Rorie and Juniper left, Shae put the final touches on the invites for Samhain and put them in her out going bin on her desk. Then she sent e-mails to the entire guest list for the next night's meeting informing everyone of the change in venue and other specifics. Just as she was finishing up with that there was a knock at her office door.

"Come in!" Shae said and watched to see who came through the door even though her blood already told her who it was.

"Hello there, Little One. How goes your evening? You seemed mildly distressed earlier while you were meeting with your girls…"

"my evening is ok… I was just working out details for tomorrow and contemplating offering positions to some of Juniper's friends that we met earlier. What do you think? They seem to collectively poses the potential for a wide range of skills that I think Max and myself may find useful."

"I think that would be a good idea, make sure your contracts are air tight and do not make any offers until you have them thoroughly investigated… just a suggestion." Xander said quietly as he walked around to stand behind where Shae was seated at her desk and put his large hands on her petite shoulders. He began to rub them in a circular motion and used his thumbs to work the back of her neck. After a few moments of working out the knots in her muscles, the Viking bent over so his mouth was right next to his Childe's ear and whispered.

"Little One, come, let us go find a nice meal to share and then retire to my room for the evening… I have not reacquainted myself enoughwith your body…" He then peppered light kisses from behind her ear down to her shoulders. Shae found it impossible to resist and got up and followed her Sire out the door and down into the club.

Shae woke the next evening wrapped in the arms of her Sire and he in hers. She made her way to the shower and dressed for the evening. Tonight was the meeting. After getting ready she checked her phone for messages and found one from Max letting her know that he was going to combine next weeks monthly meeting with tonight's session.

Xander woke to find he and his Childe were still a tangle of limbs. He buried his nose in her hair and breathed in her scent. He closed his eyes and laid there, holding her and relishing the feel of her soft skin in contact with his. After she rose and left to get ready, he followed suit, putting on a pair of cargo pants, leather boots, a t-shirt, and a v-neck sweater. He wandered to the kitchen and looked in the fridge. There were about a dozen bottles in there. Half were labeled O negative and half were labeled AB negative and they all looked like vegetable juice bottles. He found it amusing as he grabbed two AB negatives and popped them into what looked like a bottle warmer on the counter. When the timer went off, he put the lids back on, gave them a shake, took the lids back off and pored them into a large beer stein.

After drinking his breakfast, Xander sought out Shae, gave her a kiss on the forehead, and headed out the door with a promise to see her at the club later.

Shae stood next to the bar looking at the set up on the main floor. The couches, benches and chairs had been set up in a large circle in the middle of the floor with tables just in front of each one. There was an opening in the circle close to the bar with a large comfortable chair, side table and a path to walk into the open middle area. Place cards had been set in front of each seat along with pads of paper, pens and ipads that were all networked together so everyone could view what was put on display. There were tables set up with food and drink to fit anyone from Kindred to Fae to human.

She looked around at the staff and all were dressed appropriately. The servers were in black and white and the security staff were in black and bright blue. Christopher came over to make sure everything met with her approval and then went to the door to let the guests in.

Juniper greeted each guest by name as they entered the club and showed them to their perspective seat. She then introduced them to the servers and let them know that since this was to be a long night, all refreshments and dinner were provided by the Prince and Miss McDougal. After the announcement, Juniper snapped her fingers and the servers scrambled to see to the needs of the representatives.

The last guest to take his seat was Prince Esposito. He walked into the open area and over to his seat, paused, surveyed the area and 'people', and then walked to the middle of the ring of seats.

"Good evening, my subjects and friends. I hope you will forgive me, but I decided to merge tonight's meeting with next week's monthly session. There are a great many things to cover this evening and if you will look in front of each of you, you will notice an ipad, any visuals that go with the discussion will be on these. If you have a presentation to give, then you have already been informed to put it on a thumb drive to plug in and share with the network…. First order of business is the Elf who calls himself Hades. If you will look the tablets in front of you, you will see a rendering of him. He has a history of theft, homicide, assault, and arsine. His specialties lie in demolitions, hand to hand and subterfuge. He is fast, deadly and can hide in plain sight. There has been a blood hunt declared. In his most recent escape from Haven & Locke, he caused a great bit of damage and took many lives. I will not allow him to continue to live, let alone in MY AREA! Any sighting of him is to be reported to my specialists, Smith and Merci… Smith, Merci, please stand up. You all have their contact numbers, I expect this to be over before next weekend…" He paused for a moment and looked each member of the meeting in the eye, including the new faces Shae had added, to make sure his point had been driven home. He noticed one of the Ladies was writing on the pad. He made his way over so he could see what was written. The woman named Heidi had seen Hades in the last few days.

"Noted" he said to her, then he continued.

"Next order of business…. ONYX… how many of you have come across it?" A few hands moved to acknowledge.

"I want this issue to be dealt with before it becomes and epidemic. I want all manufacturers, dealers and users to be brought to me expeditiously. I want zero tolerance. They are draining Kindred and selling the dried crystals of our blood!…our life force!… this must be stopped!… I want all Kindred to report in each night so we can act on any disappearances immediately. I will not accept any more losses…." He then saw the young brunette girl write on her note pad, but she turned it so he could read it. A friend of hers was seen with a large bag of Onyx. He looked at her and nodded, letting her know he appreciated the information

"New subjects… we have a few new faces in our area as of late. Please stand when I say your name and be recognized…

Eric Northman

Alex Northman

Alexander Odin-Aesir and

Godric Nomanson… Also, we have some non Kindred new faces that are accepted in our area… if you would also stand when your name is called so you can be recognized as part of my retinue…

Heather Parrish - Mage/Other

Skyla Parrish - seer/Other

Heidi Sayre - witch

Morgan McDougal-Brown - Mage/Other

Merry Moon McDougal-Brown - Mage/Other

Marie McDougal-Brown - Mage, Were/Other

Megan McDougal-Brown - Mage/Other

Rebecca Tucker - Fae / Keeper hybrid

And finally, Kelly Bray smith - Shape Shifter… Remember these faces, they are under my protection and thus, all of yours as well… any harm to them will result it punishment…. Now, since we have new members with us tonight, I will cover the subject of Tribute… as you all know, I expect 5% of income made each month. It is due no later than the fifth of the month…. " Max takes a long drink from the glass placed on his table for him and continues

Now, one more announcement and then we can continue… I have a few openings that need to be filled. If you feel you are more than competent to fill one of them, feel free to send me your qualifications and references… remember, I demand excellence. The positions are… Investigator, two enforcers, six security guards, and magical security… specifically, wards… you all have my e-mail…. And now for roll call, then we can have court… Primogens, Pack and Clan or House Leaders, please acknowledge whey your Clan or Pack is called… " He made sure to pause after calling each name to make sure they were represented before he moved on to the next.

"Caitiff…" He called.

"Present, your Highness" Shae called proudly and Xander beamed at her.

"Shape Shifters… "

"Insoli…" Lodin answered.

"Present, your Highness." The others glared at Lodin and Shae muttering that they should not be allowed to be at court. Maximo silenced them with a look.

"Kiasyd….. Brujah… Tremere.. Gangrel… Tzimisci… Ventrue… I am here… Malkavian… Nosferatu… Ravnos… Toreadore… Cappadocian… Skin Walkers… Fae… Elementals…. Demons… Elves… Dwarves… Mages… Witches… and finally human hybrids " There was a gasp from the court.

Juniper answered this one with a quiet voice.

"Present, your Highness." Her eyes never left the floor until Max walked over and lifted her chin gently with two fingers so she had to look in the eye.

" Do not be ashamed Ms. Potts. You have already proved your worth over and over again. It is because of you that our Human Hybrids have a place in this court. Pay them no mind… they were born into their Clans and Tribes, you and the others have had to work for yours. This is what will get you noticed in my area. Loyalty and hard work… not titles and weak fealty." At his words Juniper dropped to one knee and bowed her head, saying

"I pledge my Fealty to you my Prince." Surprisingly she was followed by Heather, Skyla, Kelly, Rebecca, Morgan, Merry, Marie, Megan, Heidi, Godric, Alex, Eric, and Xander. Max stood staring at the sight before him. He had expected the Kindred to pledge Fealty, but not the rest of them. For the first time in many years, he was touched.

"I accept your pledges. Now, rise and take your seats that we may continue."

Over the next few hours there were presentations on how the area was faring economically, petitions for new laws, petitions for new residents, and finally grievances and disputes. There was one complaint about disregarding property lines, one on who owned a particular pet, one accusation of mistreatment of a pet and finally one vampire accused another of feeding from his human. Max dealt with each case quickly and fairly and then opened up the floor to any new business before the meeting closed.

When all was finished, most of the court members had left and they thought the room was empty, Heather, Marie, Heidi, Morgan, Merry and Megan all decided to help Juniper and the staff with the clean up. The glasses and dinner ware were cleaned up and washed and the left over food was put in the staff lounge and staff fridge for them to snack on for the next couple days. Then all that was left was to put the tables and seats back. Heather and her Circle gathered in the middle of the club and held hands. They then began chanting, after a few minutes, there was a bright light and then the furniture was back where it belonged. The women looked around, looked at each other, nodded and left.

Max and some of the others stood there gaping at what they had just seen. The women did not realize they still had an audience. Alex was the first to speak.

"Please tell me I am not the only one who saw that…"

"No, we did too. They obviously thought they were alone… so many things… all at once… so fast… didn't seem to cause any drain…" Commented Max.

"It's a good thing they are on your side, your Highness, because I have a feeling those girls are a force to be reckoned with…" Eric chimed in as he watched his 'friend' and her Ladies walk out the door and into the night. Godric just stared after the Ladies looking deep in thought.

The group of guys stepped out of the shadow after The Ladies left the club and looked around for Shae. Eric finally spotted her coming out of a back room. She stopped short when she looked up from the papers she had and took in the sight around her.

"You guys put the club back to rights?… Thank You!"

"No, Little One, we did not do this… Your new friends did. It was quite amazing to behold… they did not know we were still here, I think." Xander told her as he walked closer to his Childe and wrapped his arms around her for a moment.

"Excuse me?" She asked.

"Yes, Ms. McDougal, it would seem that Ms. Parrish and her friends are quite magically inclined. I believe it would be a very good idea to make sure those contracts are airtight… these women… if I were not over a thousand years old, I would be intimidated by them as a group." Eric said with a slightly humble expression on his face. Alex, Godric and Max all nodded in acquiescence.

"I think I am going to head out, that is if you don't need anything else from me…" Shae said to Maximo.

"No, my dear, I need no further assistance from you. I would however like to spend some time with you if that is tolerable." Max looked back and forth from Shae to Xander as he made his request.

"Have a good evening, Little One." Her Sire said as he kissed the top of her head and walked away. After watching Xander and the others walk out the door, she looked over at Max with a questioning smirk on her face.

"Yes, Your Highness?" She posed the open ended question to her

Prince. He said nothing. He just looked at her with a mischievous expression on his face and smiled as he held his hand out. She, out of pure curiosity, took his hand and walked toward him. Max looked into her eyes and decided he could not put it off any longer. He was done denying his need for her. He had been watching Shae the whole evening. She was always in the background, making sure everything that needed to be done was handled and things ran smoothly. He had been trying to temper his feelings for this woman for many years now, telling himself that he could not afford the weakness. He was done with that.

Max moved his hands to the sides of her face, cupping her cheeks as he pulled her closer. He moved closer himself and claimed her lips with his own. Softly at first, as he waited for her reaction. She pulled back a bit and looked into his eyes and tried to understand what her Prince's intentions were.

"Max?" She questioned softly.

"Ssshhh… don't think, just feel." Was his only response. He then claimed her lips again but with a little more force, unable to rein himself in any longer. After a moment, Shae gave herself over to the kiss. She wrapped her arms around Max's shoulders and neck, tangled one hand in his dark, curly hair. Max broke the kiss first that time and picked Shae up carried her down the hidden stairs in the back of the club to one of the 'safe rooms' and proceeded to throw her down on the bed. She looked up at her Prince and good friend and all she could do was crook her finger in a 'come here' motion. Hours later, the two laid in a tangle of sheets with their clothing in shreds all around the room. Shae sighed contentedly as the dawn pulled them under to their day time rest.

One Month Later

Shae sat in her home office finishing up the last minute details for her Samhain celebration. She confirmed that Jerry, Janis and Bubba would arrive that evening and would lodge in some of the rooms under the club. She checked over the R.S.V.P. list and found that almost everyone she had invited would be there including her new friend and ally, Heather and her whole Circle. Heather had told her that they had a surprise for Shae, Eric, Godric, Xander, Pam and Max. Shae was curious as to what it could be. She wondered if it was a coincidence that it was only Kindred that were on the list of recipients.

Her next order of business was to file all that paperwork with Max about the capture of Hades. Merci and Smith had needed to team up to take the Elf down, but finally they managed to detain him and deliver him, still breathing, to Max. She remembered the event as she wrote her report. The two Assamites had been a good choice.

_Shae turned the corner onto Westfield Blvd. and noticed a commotion on the side of the road. She got out of her VW Thing and slowly walked over, being careful not to be seen. The sight before her caused her to stop short. She saw Merci standing there with smears of blood and dirt all over her body, getting ready to pounce on the dark mass attempting to over take Smith. There was a blur of activity and when the dust settled, Smith had Hades pinned down with his knee on the Elf's larynx and Merci was aiming a weapon at his forehead. There were torn up and broken trees all around and all three of them were covered in dirt and blood._

Shae shook her head to bring her back to the task at hand. The last four weeks had been quite busy. There had been five new Kindred contacted her to get in touch with Max so they could check in. A hand full Humans with extras, Shifters, Weres and Faerie royalty had all made their way to her club so they could get plugged in. The interesting thing is most of them were from Louisiana. Heather had bought a new place a block over from her and moved the whole damn group in. She and Max had come to an agreement to keep their relationship at the 'Friends with Benefits' level. He had met Eric's sister, Nora and they seemed to get along pretty well. Shae didn't trust her though and decided she would keep an eye on her. Something about Nora just didn't sit right with her. The whole group seemed very close except her. She appeared to be a little distant from the guys.

Shae sat there and put her head in her hands and mumbled to herself.

"Good Goddess, I do believe I am getting a headache…"

"You called?"

"Holy shit!… Sookie, you can't just pop in on me like that… I realize you are fully Demigoddess now, but I need some warning…."

"Sorry sweetie, I was in the area and happened to hear you… and felt your exhaustion… you need a spa night or something."

"Are you in the area to see a certain Viking?"

"No, I made my decision a long time ago, Eric and I were just not meant to be and it hasn't been long enough for me to be able to see him… it still hurts, but it was the right thing to do… he can be happy now… " Sookie said with a sad voice.

"Poor thing… I am sorry to hear that… you know, I am here if you need a friend… oh, I do believe you have quite a few friends in the area now… if I am remembering right… let me see" She shuffles through some papers on her desk.

"Oh yes, we now have a Pam, Jessica, Sam, Jason, Jesus, LaLa, Tara and some Witch named Amelia all have places here on the 'Rez' now… do you want to know where they are?"

"Please… that would be incredible… thank you so much!… I owe you for this…"

"Hmm, a Demigoddess in my debt… I could defiantly handle that!" Shae laughed.

" I mean it!… I am going to go find them…" She hands Shae a stone.

" Here, when you want to talk to me, just hold this and call my name… I will be there in less than five minutes… promise!… Bye!"

"Bye, Hon'."

Shae finished up with her paperwork and decided she wanted to go hunt. She called Pam to see of she was interested. She was, so they made plans to meet up at Eden.

The two vampires walked into Eden and looked around trying to see if anyone caught their interest from the start. They decided to go upstairs so they could get a better view. Pam looked over the crowd for any yummy looking females. Shae closed her eyes and inhaled deeply looking for anyone that smelled like a delicatessen. She caught the sent of Fae and opened her eyes so she could track where it was coming from. To her surprise she found herself staring at the same woman Pam had set her sites on. Shae smirked, raised an eyebrow and asked,

"You in the mood to share?"

"Mmmmm, that could prove to be fun indeed…" Pam responded with a smirk of her own. The two then decided it was time to move down to the main floor. They found a spot on the dance floor right next to the beauty with the plum colored hair. The music changed to some top 40 song that had been remixed with a heavy club beat and Shae stepped behind Pam so they could dance. The two of them spent the next few songs rubbing against each other while they danced and keeping an eye on their prey. Much to their amazement, she appeared to be checking them out as well. Finally, Pam crooked her finger at the curvy Fae, who was wearing a blue satin skirt and a matching corset with black trim and lacing. Again, to the vampires' astonishment, the Faerie danced over to them and wedged herself in between them. The three of them moved together for the next few songs. All the while, hands gliding over and caressing each other while exchanging kisses amongst themselves. Finally, the Faerie takes their hands and leads them off the dance floor and out into the night air.

"They call me Jinx…"

"Shae…"

"Pam…"

Not another word was spoken as they all walked around the corner to the parking lot and Jinx took their hands in hers and told them to close their eyes. In a blink, they were in Shae's office at her The Hole In The Wall. Pam and Shae looked at Jinx waiting for an answer to the unspoken question.

"I know who you are… I've seen you come down the steps before… I wanted you, but I thought you would turn me away… I have never seen you leave with a woman before…"

"Well, you are in luck, little Faerie… you get both of us…" Shae replied.

"You're hungry aren't you…"

"Yes…" Pam and Shae replied in unison,

"In more ways than one…"

Shae took Jinx's hand and led her over to the sitting area in her office. Jinx showed no fear. She gave her a gentle push and Jinx fell back on the large, overstuffed couch. Pam took a spot on one side and Shae sat on the other side of her. Both turned so they were facing her. Shae placed her hands on Jinx's shoulders and turned her body so she was facing Pam.

Pam leaned in and captured the Faerie's lips in a kiss, running her tongue across her lip, begging entrance. Jinx granted it with a soft moan. Shae gently brushed Jinx's long dark hair aside and peppered the Fae's shoulder and neck with soft open mouthed kisses. Pam moved her kisses down to the girl's jaw line and down her throat. Shae began to untie her corset and Pam unfastened the hooks on the front. In minutes, the offending fabric device was removed. Jinx then felt hands snake around her body and caress and play with her nipples. Then she felt the zipper of her skirt being undone and her skirt being removed. She held Pam's eyes the whole time this was going on. She then felt Shae turn her head to the side a little so she could kiss her while she worked her breasts. Jinx couldn't help the moans that escaped her lips as she slid her hand up Shae's arm and around behind her to tangle it in Shae's hair. Jinx's other hand made it's way down to Pam's hair as she peppered open mouthed kisses over Jinx's stomach, inching her way down and finally taking Jinx's lace thong in her teeth and sliding it off her body. Pam moved instantly back up the Fae's body so that she could nuzzle the dark colored curls with her nose, inhaling deeply. She let out a groan of her own. Pam then took Jinx's legs and placed them over her shoulders so she could dip down to the soft wet folds between Jinx's legs. She gave a long slow lick before she started sucking and teasing her clit.

Shae moved so she was kneeling on the floor next to the couch and laid Jinx down so she was flat on her back. Shae resumed one of her hands massaging and stimulating Jinx's breast, while she used her lips, tongue and teeth to play with the other one.

Between the two of them, Jinx could not maintain a strait thought. She was so close to the edge of ecstasy all she could do was pant and moan. Finally she felt she was about to go over the edge. She yelled,

"Now, do it now!"

They did. Pam turned her head to the side and sank her fangs into the Faerie's thigh at the same time as Shae sank hers into her breast. Both took a few long deep pulls before they licked the bites closed. Jinx passed out from her high.

Shae turned to Pam, grabbed her face and pulled it to her. She then claimed her lips in a hungry kiss. In a flurry of movement both women were naked and clothing was shredded. The next hour consisted of an abundance of petting, licking, biting, kissing and moaning. After they brought each other to screaming finishes, the two vampires laid sprawled out on the floor of the office on the thick carpet in front of the couch where Jinx woke up from her little nap. The three of them looked at each other and just smiled.

"That was… wow…" Jinx said.

Jinx got up off the couch and found her clothes so she could put them back on. She reached into her purse and pulled out a brush and some wipes. She cleaned her face and brushed and braded her hair, she then wrote her number on a note pad on Shae's desk and told them both she would love to hear from either or both of them. She then walked out the door, through the club and out the door.

Pam looked at her shredded clothing and sighed. Shae just grabbed her hand and pulled her over to her dressing room in the back of her office.

"Use anything you want, hon'… it's all good… there is a shower in the back."

They both got cleaned up and dressed, then made their way out to the club. As they walked past Shae's booth, they noticed the guys sitting there. Every one of them looking at the two of them with a raised eyebrow. Pam and Shae winked at each other and sat down next to their Sires so they could join in the conversation.

The announcement was made for last call and both girls made arrangements to go pick up their cars at Eden.

The following evening Shae, Eric, Godric, Xander, Pam and Max all woke to find an invitation to Heather's Home. Shae called the other five Vampires and asked if they knew what was going on and none of them did.

"What the hell, Heather wouldn't hurt us… would she?" Shae asked herself as she walked out her door and into the night air. She followed the side walk around the corner to Heather's home and knocked on the door to the main house of her compound. While she was waiting she felt the others show up and join her on the porch. After a few minutes, the door was opened by Heather herself.

"Hey guys! I'm so glad you came! I was worried that you wouldn't." She said as she motioned for them to enter her home. "Come on in!"

They walked in and were shown into the game room downstairs. The game room was about 1500 square feet and had a full bar, card table, pool table, dart board, air hockey, foosball, chess table, 13 different game systems on a 75 inch flat panel television and overstuffed sofas with coffee table and end tables. The whole place was done in pale cream tones and dark oak woods.

The group was shown to the sitting area where there were six small boxes each with a name on it. Each picked up the box with their name on it and examined it.

"Ok, so here is the deal… I wanted to give each of you something special that no other kindred would have, so I talked with Skyla, and this is what we came up with… but before you are allowed to open them, you must swear on the blood that you will not speak of this with anyone outside of this room. The Ladies have all had their memories wiped of the whole event at their own request. It is just you guys and me and Skyla."

"You have our attention…" said Maximo.

They each, after taking a moment to ponder the ramifications, swore not to speak a word.

"Good, now, secondly… each item will require a drop of the owner's blood to personalize it so no one else can use it. When you are all ready, let me know."

After about five minutes Godric told her they were ready and looked at her with curiosity and anticipation in his eyes. She looked around the room and saw the same look on all of their faces.

"ok, you may open them." Heather told them with a nervous shaky voice.

Each Vampire slowly unwrapped their gifts to reveal jewelry boxes. They then opened the boxes to see silver rings with a huge moonstone in the center of each one. They hissed when they realized what the metal was. Eric was the first to prick his finger on his fang and allow a drop to fall on the ring. As his blood connected with the ring it began to glow a brilliant bluish white. He then got excited and slipped it on his finger. As soon as he did, his skin glowed the same bluish white for a moment then it dissipated.

The others, seeing he was ok, followed suit. Once everyone had their rings on, Heather began explaining what they had.

"I bet you are all curious what they do, huh?… well, you are now immune to sunlight and silver, can eat and drink human food if you wish, and if you listen, you should hear your hearts begin beating again any moment now, meaning your bodies are now for the most part alive. You can also resist the pull of the sun to torpor if you want… you will still need to rest every few days or so but it should be about once a week or so…. If it becomes too much, you simply need to take the ring off and you will return to your normal state within two to three minutes… you can put it back on at any time… you will unfortunately need to either learn to use birth control, or take the rings off before you have sex… oh, and girls, I recommend you take them off monthly unless you want to start cycling again… "

No one said anything for a good twenty minutes.

"I'm sorry guys, I thought you would like them…" Heather said as she sat down and turned her head toward the floor to try to hide the tears in her eyes. Suddenly there was a Viking in front of her.

"Min Kara, look at me…" he said as he lifted her chin with his fingers so she could look into his eyes.

"We are just a little overwhelmed… we had no idea you held us in such high regard… you invite us into your home and then give us back what being the Vampires we are took from us… there are no words to express how grateful we are… I believe we are all in your debt… " he says then he kisses her in front of the whole group.

"Eric! I thought you didn't want everyone to know…" she exclaimed before she was kissed again. When Eric finally let her go, she was tackled by rest of the group. One at a time they hugged her and said thank you letting her know they were indeed in her debt. They stayed up all night testing what ever she mixed up at her bar and trying all the snacks and food she laid out for them. At about 6:30 a.m. she sent them all out in her back yard to play in her gardens and watch the sun rise. Maximo told her to come out with them so she grabbed a thick quilt and relaxed in her favorite comfy chair out in the garden area. Eric sat with her as she fell asleep. He then watched the sun rise for the second time in a thousand years. He didn't even try to stop the bloody tears that ran down his cheeks. Everyone else's face was streaked with blood as well. They spent the whole day on Heather's compound, outside, taking everything in, including the sun.


End file.
